Different regions have different methods and standards for the division of branch length of different fruit trees. There are two classification methods: coarse classification can be divided into short branches, middle branches and long branches, and fine classification can be divided into five types: leafy branches, short branches, middle branches, long branches and flourishing branches. Classification criteria mainly vary with different tree species. Generally, fruit trees with stone fruit such as apples, pears and hawthorn have leaves less than 0.5 cm, short branches 0.5 ~ 5.0 cm, middle branches 5 ~ 15 cm, long branches 15 ~ 30 cm, and flourishing branches above 30 cm. Stone fruit trees such as peaches, plums and apricots are smaller than 1cm, 1 ~ 15cm, 15 ~ 30cm, 30 ~ 60cm and more than 60cm respectively.

Branches with different lengths have different meanings in modeling and pruning. Generally speaking, short and medium branches are easy to blossom and bear fruit, which is the basis of cultivating fruiting branches. Long branches are not easy to blossom and bear fruit, but the important foundation for cultivating trunk branches in crown is closely related to the expansion, bearing capacity and disaster resistance of trees. What needs to be pointed out here is that the classification of branch length is generally carried out artificially from the perspective of plastic pruning. In practical application, there is no need to blindly choose standards, so that we can know fairly well without dogma, and the qualitative analysis is accurate and the quantitative analysis is flexible. The specific methods and standards for the length classification of developing branches and fruiting branches of different fruit trees are detailed in the third part.